1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a camera, and particularly to a camera having a sliding cover for covering a photo-taking lens disposed on the front face of a camera body.
2. Related Background Art
There is known a camera such as a compact camera having a sliding cover for covering a photo-taking lens disposed on the front face of a camera body.
FIGS. 10 to 12 of the accompanying drawings show a camera of this kind according to the prior art, and in this camera, a sliding cover 3 for covering a photo-taking lens 2 is disposed on the front face of a camera body 1.
This sliding cover 3 is guided along guide grooves la formed in the upper surface and lower surface of the camera body 1, and is made movable along the front face between a position in which it covers the photo-taking lens 2 and a position in which it does not cover the photo-taking lens 2.
The opening portion 5a of a film cartridge chamber 5 through which a film cartridge 4 is put in and out is formed in the lower surface of the camera body 1, and this opening portion 5a is openably and closably covered with a cartridge chamber lid 6.
FIG. 13 of the accompanying drawings shows an opening-closing mechanism for the cartridge chamber lid 6, and a fixed portion 6a is formed along the end portion of the cartridge chamber lid 6.
This fixed portion 6a is formed with an open groove 6b, and a restraining groove 6c is formed at the bottom toward the sideways portion of the open groove 6b. The engagement tab 7a of an opening-closing lever 7 is engaged with the restraining groove 6c. An operating member 7b shown in FIG. 10 is integrally formed on that side of the opening-closing lever 7 which is opposite to the engagement tab 7a. The opening-closing lever 7 is biased toward the bottom surface side of the restraining groove 6c by a coil spring 8.
A lock member 9 bears against that side of the opening-closing lever 7 which is opposite to the coil spring 8. This lock member 9 is formed with a rack 9a and is vertically movable by a motor 12 through gears 10 and 11.
In the above-described camera, during the use of the camera, as shown in FIG. 13, the movement of the opening-closing lever 7 by the operating member 7b is impeded by the lock member 9, and the restraining tab 7a of the opening-closing lever 7 is restrained by the restraining groove 6c of the cartridge chamber lid 6, whereby the cartridge chamber lid 6 is prevented from being opened.
On the other hand, during the non-use of the camera, the lock member 9 is downwardly moved by the rotation of the motor 12 and the movement of the opening-closing lever 7 by the operating member 7b becomes possible, and the restraining tab 7a of the opening-closing lever 7 is positioned in the open groove 6b of the cartridge chamber lid 6, whereby the opening of the cartridge chamber lid 6 becomes possible.
In the camera according to the prior art, however, the lock member 9 is moved by the driving of the motor 12 to thereby prevent the cartridge chamber lid 6 from being opened during the use of the camera, and this has led to the problem that the opening-closing mechanism for the cartridge chamber lid 6 becomes very much complicated.
Besides the above-described opening-closing mechanism, there is conceivable a mechanism for effecting the opening and closing of the cartridge chamber lid itself by the driving of a motor and preventing the cartridge chamber lid from being opening during the use of the camera by software-like control, but again in this case, there is the problem that the opening-closing mechanism for the cartridge chamber lid becomes very much complicated.